Landscapes of orange and green, an unlikely friendship between a young boy and a man, and the normalcy of using their feet to paint, drive and eat encompassed the film Dla Stasia (in English: By Stanley For Stanley ), a documentary on the life of two individuals born without arms.
Screened at the two-day AbilityFest 2019 held recently in Chennai, it explored the theme of inclusiveness and tolerance not frequently found in the lives of the differently-abled.
Brothers-in-arms
A Polish film that was released in 2017, By Stanley For Stanley is directed by Monika Meleń and narrates the story of Stanisław Kmiecik and Staś Salach.
A painter and co-author of the film’s message, Stanisław (Big Stan in the film) guides the little boy gently into the ways of the world, teaching him to take pride in his uniqueness. Traversing the fine lines of a subject that could easily turn pessimistic, the film bounds in its positivity leaving the viewer with gratitude and a beaming smile, exactly as the director wished.
Monika Meleń
With emotionally intimate scenes between the two, the film often shifts between the protagonists and the reactions of people around them — not highlighting a difference, but reiterating the regularity.
A vehicle of empathy, the film is a testimony to the unusual agreement of people affected by a similar disability, but also a lesson on how to respond to intolerance towards people with disabilities.
Laughing when asked about the challenges of working with a child, Monika speaks with a twinkle in her eyes. “Staś was engaging and enthusiastic. But the bigger child, Stan, he was reserved and afraid that the film would turn into a portrayal of pity. People often misconstrue the film as a relationship where Big Stan is helping young Staś. In reality, they had much to learn and grow from each other,” she says.
Changing perceptions
As the cinematography merges stunning paintings with their subjective sceneries, Stanisław’s skill as a painter in the techniques of oil painting, pastels and tempera is ably brought to the fore.
A landscape portrait by Stanisław Kmiecik
An artist who prefers to paint in “plain-air”, Big Stan would render the Polish landscape soon after cinematographer Roman Piotrowski finished shooting.
On the shooting process, Roman elaborates, “It was initially hard as I was still deciphering out the angles and the style of shooting. The key was to establish a relationship with the actors and work delicately with them.”
Monika recalls how every screening of her movie has left people with hope and optimism.
The Ability Fest also showcased HALE, a documentary on the life of Hale Zukas, a pioneer in the disability rights movement and the founder of the Center for Independent Living. Directed by Brad Bailey, the film shares Zukas’ journey from Berkeley, California as an advocate for accessibility for the disabled.
In India after 19 years, Brad beams about the many improvements in services for the disabled that he has encountered in the country, especially in areas of education and technology. However, he has this to add, “There should be more transparency regarding accessibility of resources, especially in the area of healthcare. I have seen many families, especially the underprivileged struggling with information on the appropriate medical treatment. “
As Monica and Brad both emphasize on ending the stigma around mental and physical disabilities, the Polish director recalls how every screening of her movie has left people with hope and optimism. Speaking on her next film that revolves around the story of a girl with muscular dystrophy and her journey through 20 years of love, Monica emphatically states, “Stories of these inspiring individuals move me and I want their abilities and dreams to be recognised by the rest of the world. I can't turn back now, we have a mission to complete."
